Need online help..

Hey fella's,

I've been playing quite some time now. I wanted to fly offline mostly untill i was really comfortable. So, i thought i had a good grip on things, mostly focusing on the 15. Then i started to fly online and realized i'm not quite as good as i thought..lol :helpsmilie:

Flying online gives me alot more questions to ask. That said, here it goes;

Is there anyway to tell how long untill missle impact if you don't have a visual on it? A missle incoming to me that is. Sometimes just when i think i've avoided it, i fly level again and boom there it is.

Second question, What is the deal with the jammers? Everytime i ask people say that im supposed to use it in appropriate situations. So, i turn it on when i'm fired on for sure. Then sometimes i use it to try to break a lock, by flashing it. Thing is, when im online, everyone has it on all the time. People say this isn't true, but i RARELY encounter aircraft that don't have it on. So now i dont know when im supposed to use it...lol :doh:

I'm pretty good on IFF, but sometimes i think i'm lacking information in that area and engaging too late. Say i have someone in HOJ and i achive burnthrough. How can i tell if that plane is a friendly or not if im locked up already? I realize the square circle thing, but when you burnthrough its just a little plane. The only way i can see is droping my lock, but by then they are engaging me already. :(

Thanks for any help guys, sorry for the nub questions..

Mac

Hey fella's,

 

I've been playing quite some time now. I wanted to fly offline mostly untill i was really comfortable. So, i thought i had a good grip on things, mostly focusing on the 15. Then i started to fly online and realized i'm not quite as good as i thought..lol :helpsmilie:

This is because real people will come up with a lot of different plans and tactics for lots of reasons. The AI just has programmed responses.

Once you start understanding your opponent's reasoning and his goals, you immidiately have a tactical advantage.

Flying online gives me alot more questions to ask. That said, here it goes;

 

Is there anyway to tell how long untill missle impact if you don't have a visual on it? A missle incoming to me that is. Sometimes just when i think i've avoided it, i fly level again and boom there it is.

Not really. You need to acquire a whole new level of SA; you need to be able to time missile shots in your head, and decide when you've evaded for sure. To make matters worse, there are likely follow up shots, potentially with heat seeking missiles which you will not get a warning for, and ou might not even notice the launch.

Second question, What is the deal with the jammers? Everytime i ask people say that im supposed to use it in appropriate situations. So, i turn it on when i'm fired on for sure. Then sometimes i use it to try to break a lock, by flashing it. Thing is, when im online, everyone has it on all the time. People say this isn't true, but i RARELY encounter aircraft that don't have it on. So now i dont know when im supposed to use it...lol :doh:

Only flash your jammer ... there -are- reasons to keep it on all the time, but these are specialized and more rare and as such you should not worry about them - in general keep it off, and use it only to break lock and confuse the enemy during an engagement.

Hint: The F-15's HOJ lock is completely silent, BTW. No lock warning or search warning.

I'm pretty good on IFF, but sometimes i think i'm lacking information in that area and engaging too late. Say i have someone in HOJ and i achive burnthrough. How can i tell if that plane is a friendly or not if im locked up already? I realize the square circle thing, but when you burnthrough its just a little plane. The only way i can see is droping my lock, but by then they are engaging me already. :(

 

Thanks for any help guys, sorry for the nub questions..

 

Mac

Don't keep him locked in HoJ, it blinds you to everyone else - unless he has no friends, in which case you know if he's friend of foe.

Instead, move your antenna so that you don't lose the jamming stroke, and once he gets into burn-through, you'll know what it is. Lastly, if he fires on you, forget IFF ;)

Now, more seriously: You must have SA. You need to (somehow) know where you buds are. Where they're not, are enemies. That's all there is to that - if need be, ask your friends if they can turn their jammers off.

Also, the jammer is visible from -much- farther away than the radar can actually pick the aircraft itself up, so it's the equivalent of giving up your position.

I don't understand why people play off line to learn how to play online. People need to fly online to get good. AI does the same thing most of the time. You will learn more online then off.

Actually it's good that people want to learn to fly their plane and operate its systems before coming online ... then you can teach'em the heavy stuff, not how to turn on engines :D

Just to add to what GG said about enhancing SA. Getting on the appropriate Teamspeak channel is one of the most important things you can do to enhance your SA.

Yes, this is absolutely true. Especially if you have good people to fly with (comms too can be pretty bad and actually ruin SA) ... in general comms increases cooperation and capability to a level you probably haven't imagined yet.

I have been jumping to TS usually. Been having alot of fun with the =IA= guys. :) Speaking of which, thanks for the help in TS, those who i flew with.

And ya i played offline first because it just seems like the logical thing to do. I can now refine my flying online, but i didnt want to get online not knowing how to fly at all. Atleast now i understand my plane well. Just need to get my tactics and teamwork down. :)

Instead, move your antenna so that you don't lose the jamming stroke, and once he gets into burn-through, you'll know what it is. Lastly, if he fires on you, forget IFF

So really theres no way to tell friend or foe when the aircraft is locked up, unless of cource there are none of that type on your team? When you burn through unlocked the strobe will turn into a square or circle??

Right, sorry I wasn't clear. The real F-15 has IFF cue on the HUD, but it isn't modelled in LOMAC, so there is no way to tell IFF against a locked target, except if, as you said, that type of aircraft is not present on your side.

You may want to try a different server - nothing against the IA guys, but the proximity of the bases in their maps (what I've seen so far) doesn't lend itself very well to a more organize style of air to air combat ... it's much more of an air-quake type thing built up for giving advantage to the russian planes.

That's how they like to play it, which is fine; but I don't think it's a particularely good learning environment due to the frustration such a dense environment can generate ... basically more experienced players will easily slap you around on that sort of map without really giving you a chance.

GG, if they come online they can talk to people on comms and get a better feel for it.

take a look here bud ;)

http://forum.lockon.ru/showthread.php?t=16513

I needed help on something esle, so i figured i would bump this rather than start a new thread.

I'm having some trouble with ILSN mode. On the american planes 15, a-10, i cannot cycle through airports. I can cycle through waypoints though.

However, it works on some of the other planes i don't know how to fly. :doh:

What am i missing? I press one once, im in nav mode, and able to cycle waypoints. I press it a second time and im in ILSN mode. Pressing tilde now does nothing at all. I just dont get it. Everyone has told me, just press tilde while in this mode to move through airports and it just does not work for me. I've checked all the button options, theres no conflicts.

How can something so simple be so complicated...lol :cry:

YES- this part kind of bites.. You have to get to the area of the airport that you want ILS approach on. Once you know the desired airport is the closest one- call into the tower "Inbound". That'll switch ya. This works whether the base is friendly or hostile so be careful. :P

Ah, but you can cycle through them with non-american planes? Thats weird.

Now to figure out which airports are which and if thier friendly..lol

I got a map from lockonfiles.com, you guys got anymore? :)

I have very nice color maps that -i think- Rugg or Locsta made. I use them every day. Click sig- downloads page. But these are just the airports modeled. You can only tell if it's designated friendly or not in the mission briefing & map prior to flight. You have to call in when flying the frogs too.